A PERFECT MATCH

Ganni is undoubtedly one of the most exciting labels to have come out of the last decade. The Danish brand – which was revamped by husband-and-wife duo Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup over ten years ago – began to slowly make waves in the fashion industry before eventually becoming the designer label that every girl on your Instagram feed worth following, was wearing.

One glance through their collections and their fashion credentials speak for themselves, but what’s less apparent, perhaps, is the brand’s commitment to our planet. When it comes to sustainability, the fashion industry is one of the first to blame, but what sets GANNI apart from the rest is their awareness. “We’re a fashion brand thriving off of newness, this is inherently not sustainable,” explains Nicolaj Reffstrup, chief executive at GANNI. “There’s no denying that - but we see this not as an excuse, but as an ambition that drives us every day to become a better version of ourselves on our journey towards sustainability.” In a market where green-washing has become increasingly common, the brand’s honesty is a refreshing take. “We’ve been saying ‘responsible’ since 2013, when we took the first few steps towards a more responsible version of ourselves,” tells Nicolaj. “The ambition is still to one day become a truly sustainable fashion brand and the dream is still that ultimately this will not differentiate us from other fashion brands. But until we get there we still identify as a responsible brand that isn’t sustainable yet.”

With continuous efforts being made by GANNI to become a more sustainable brand, it was the events of the past year that really helped them to slow down. “COVID-19 really forced us to hack our own system,” says Nicolaj. “We have been changing our priorities and accelerating our digital strategy; implementing a virtual showroom and inevitably breaking away from the traditional fashion calendar; we’ve introduced smaller, more seasonally relevant drops which has ultimately reduced the amount of stock we take home, we’ve found new digital solutions which optimise stock flows across different channels; 3D prototyping and sampling will be a priority, and working on projects with existing stock to create scalable and commercial solutions to deal with excess stock.”

They say one should never mix business with pleasure but ignoring this cliché has paid off for the power couple behind GANNI. “Nicolaj and I both bring very different things to the table, but we complement each other two hundred per cent,” tells Ditte Reffstrup, Creative Director at GANNI. “I’m all about the creative process and Nicolaj is the business tech mind and pushing the sustainability agenda forward.” Millions of couples all across the world have had to adjust to not only working from home for the first time but also learning how to work with a new office mate: their significant other. For even the strongest of couples, being introduced to a partner’s professional persona and sharing close quarters for an extended period of time requires adjustment and a lot of patience - something both Nicolaj and Ditte found challenging. “It’s hard to switch off, especially this past year working from home” says Nicolaj. “After 9pm, we have a mutual agreement not to talk about work - however, it’s hard to get both of us to withdraw from adding one more point. Right now, the boundaries are blurred but we’re really good at chilling out on the weekends.” Hanging out at home with their kids, partying and laughing with each other is how the pair enjoy their downtime.

Searching #gannigirls on Instagram will bring you over 60,000 results of empowered, confident women looking their best selves, which was Nicolaj and Ditte’s aim when creating the brand. “We want to stay authentic and true to ourselves,” says Ditte. “The main reason we started GANNI was because we wanted people to feel the most confident version of themselves. Being on a journey to become more responsible, people can feel confident that we are doing everything we can to be better.”

To continue on their path to push for responsibility, the brand has recently tackled one of the biggest culprits in sustainable fashion: denim. “We have a collaborations team where we discuss potential collaborations and we all wanted to do something with denim,” explains Ditte. “Everyone on the team was asked to name the ultimate denim brand we could dream of collaborating with, and we all agreed that it was Levi’s. From the moment we met with the Levi’s team, there was instant chemistry and we really felt aligned on our visions from the very beginning. We were able to use cottonised hemp for the denim styles, which are all rain-fed with a proven lower footprint than conventional denim.”

Not stopping there, GANNI has also gone onto tackle another difficult sustainable category with their latest swimwear line. “Our swimwear is made with at least 78% ECONYL® – a recycled polyamide made of pre and post-consumer waste like production scraps and fishnets,” informs Ditte. “It’s the best fabric we can be working with for now and then in the future, we hope to find something that is 100% responsible.”

What set GANNI swimwear apart from the rest is not only its responsible credentials but its fashion ones also. “I love having fun with our swimwear. Bringing through bold prints like our neon green and yellow tie-dye or classic leopard,” says Ditte. “For me, swimwear is about feeling even more confident and self-assured so I love flattering shapes cut just right.”

Even with the world being more environmentally conscious than ever, shopping sustainably can still be a tricky field to master. “I would say still go with your gut when you fall in love with pieces, but buy things you will love forever - or swap and share with friends.” And don’t stop there. “It’s all about everyday micro-activism,” says Nicolaj. “Bring your own cup when you go to your favourite coffee shop and always ask how the products you buy are made. It’s all about the small steps, creating awareness and helping all of us do better each day.”

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